Does love ever last?
by pinkink10
Summary: Ally and Austin love each other. Austin leaves on a tour without even a goodbye even when Ally had stuck by him during his drunken days. What happens when Ally finally sees him again in their hometown and the memories of Austin come flooding back. They are both famous now, Ally believes she has moved on from those harder days, but has she? Did Austin ever really stop loving her?


The bar was practically empty as Ally Dawson sat upon the bar stool swishing the clear vodka tonic around and around in her glass. The age old scent of beer and various alcohols remained pungent in her nose.

" Ally, Ally Dawson is that you?" A middle aged man came stumbling up to the bar, swaying as his drunken state took over. " Boy am I a big fan of yer music." he slurred in his southern country drawl before removing his battered cowboy hat. It took her all her might not to cringe at his beer breath cascaded over her as she examined his beard speckled with vomit. Someone had been drinking too much tonight.

" Can I help you sir?"

" Sure ya can sweet thang. Do you mind signing my cowboy hat, I have a pen right ere if you'll take it."

" Sure thing, who do I make it out to?"

" Gunnar Greybeck." he smiled as Ally signed his hat with her cursive font before placing it back on his head. " It sure was a pleasure meeting you miss Dawson."

" You to Gunnar." she smiled before swishing her drink around and around again. The small tv above the bar showed the headlining news as Bucky the bartender began stacking chairs.

" Rough night huh?" he questioned as she stopped swishing and began to stare at the liquid instead.

" Something like that." she mumbled as the screen caught her attention. The news readers voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.

" Austin Moon to return to his home town, Nashville as he says he needs to get back in touch with his true music and wants to begin writing some new songs. Others are speculating that he wishes to visit the southern belle Ally Dawson who is scheduled to perform on Nashville's main stage tomorrow night." The voice sounded as clips of Austin being swarmed by paparazzi played across the screen.

" The labels not gonna like that." she muttered to herself as she realised why she was even here in the first place. Sitting at a bar all alone wasting her night away on booze. It was all because of Austin bloody Moon, she was sick of hearing his name, his manufactured music and stupid tv appearances. It was now undeniable that Ally had not gotten over him no matter how much she had thrown herself into her music or how much she went on tour trying to escape her hometown that constantly reminded her of him. Even when she kissed Elliot senseless just because she wished to feel something other than grief it didn't work. Why? Because she still thought about Austin Moon. The stupid blonde headed jerk who ripped her heart out and then disappeared on a worldwide tour without even saying goodbye. Days after days she had spent trying to help him, her drunk boyfriend who couldn't stay off the alcohol long enough to be coherent, she went trekking through motels and hotels in search of him knowing that he was probably passed out in a pool of his own vomit. Scared to death that he was dead, that he wasn't breathing anymore. The fifth time forcing him into rehab was the one that did her in, the one that pushed her over the edge. He became clean of alcohol and healthy but he disappeared, he went on tour, he didn't say goodbye or a thank you for saving my life. He just went and she still didn't know why.

" Bucky, turn that bull off please." she snapped at the bar tender.

" Not a fan of Austin Moon huh?"

" Bucky please don't start this."

" Start what? You guys were great together, your love songs were what put you both on the map. I don't get it, why do you hate him so much, y'all were inseparable."

" Just turn it off okay!"

" Alright, alright is their anything else you want you highness?" he smirked as she rolled her eyes.

" Hit me with something strong okay. I want to be totally out of it when Austin arrives so I don't have to suffer through it." she sighed as the room began to spin, Bucky raised a sceptical eyebrow.

" Don't you have to perform tomorrow night?"

" Please don't remind me." she sighed as Bucky began pouring her a deep orange drink. She sniffed it first, the stagnant smell stinging her nostrils before downing it in one gulp. The liquid burning her throat as it sloshed down. An Austin Moon ring tone rang out from across the room from someones phone as tears pricked her eyes.

" Bucky I need another one, stat." she slurred as she slammed her hand down hard against the wooden bar top before asking herself one simple question, how in the hell had she gotten in this mess?

* * *

" Cut, cut, cut!" Ally yelled at her band in frustration. The rehearsal was terrible and the clouds of fog which had taken residence within her head because of yesterday still hadn't cleared. She slumped down upon the stool at the centre of the stage and looked out into the rows of seats before her, rows of seats which would be filled up tonight with people expecting an amazing performance. Her manager came marching across the stage in his grey, pressed suit with a scathing look painted across his face.

" Why in the hell would you go drinking when you knew you had a performance today?"

" I wasn't thinking okay."

" Clearly, this doesn't have anything to do with the news about Austin does it?"

" Maybe." she replied, Marshall was silent for a long while before bringing her in for hug.

" It will be okay Ally."

" I hope so, all this time I have tried to avoid him at publicity events, avoid the subject in interviews and avoid him period."

" You knew he would have to come back to his home town at some point right?"

" Yeah but I was hoping to be performing in another country when that happened." Ally quipped before moving off the stage.

" Where are you going? We haven't finished rehearsals yet."

" I'm going backstage, I need to get some coffee to nurse this headache."

" Fine, just make sure your back here in five."

" Sure thing." she smiled before grabbing her flask filled with the warm brown liquid. Everything was just too fuzzy for her to do anything properly, it was frustrating. More than anything Ally wanted to give a great performance just like she always did, she didn't get to the top by doing half assed jobs and getting drunk the night before her shows. This just wasn't was Austin... Quickly she admonished herself at the thought, it was unfair for her to think that when he had been clean for 7 and a half years. That was the old Austin, maybe the real reason she was so upset was because she was anxious and worried. Anxious and worried because she didn't know who the new Austin was and whether it was worth finding out. Taking two steps at a time she ran towards the theatre box behind the many rows of seats, her heart aching and constricting at the thought of Austin coming home. She hated herself for thinking about him, mainly because she hated all those girls in films who seemed so weak and could get hung up on a guy so easily and now she was playing that part like a pro. Ally took chunks of her curly brown her and began to chew on it, as filthy a habit as it was, she was unable to break it.

" I thought you would be back on stage in five." Marshall cut through her thoughts.

" How did you find me?"

" I had a feeling you would be up here."

" Me and Austin used to relax here before every show."

" I know, I still remember the first performance you both had at this theatre. It was the very first time you both performed together for a audience. You guys rocked the house."

" So I've been told." she laughed.

" Why are you torturing yourself like this?"

" What do you mean?"

" You know exactly what I mean, your doing things that you and Austin used to do together and your acting so out of character. You've never gotten that drunk before, ever."

" I know. I think I know what's bothering me, why I can't perform properly."

" What is it?"

" I'm not doing it from the heart, I'm just going through the motions. If its okay with you Marshall I would like to perform a song that I wrote recently. I know it's an original and it's a risk because my fans at expecting it but I think I need to do this."

" Are you sure?"

" Positive."

" Then I guess you've got to do what you've got to do kiddo."

" Kiddo, I'm not a kiddo anymore."

" You'll always be a kiddo to me. What do you want me to say, young lady?"

" That just doesn't suit me either." Ally laughed as they began walking towards the stage again.

" You'll be great tonight Ally, I know it."

" Thanks Marshall, I appreciate it." she smiled.

* * *

" Two minutes Ally! Your on in two minutes!" Ally's makeup artist Elsa stressed before applying more blusher to her cheeks.

" Elsa seriously, if you keep putting blusher on me like this I'm going to look like a tomato. Can we call it quits on the makeup now?"

" Okay, okay." she mumbled before resigning to the fact that Ally wasn't going to take anymore and was close to snapping.

" Ally you ready?" Marshall asked as the sound guys sorted out the microphone which was attached to her.

" Ready as I'll ever be." she muttered before breathing deeply. " Let's go." she said to Marshall as he smiled.

" Let's go people, Ally is ready to go on!" he shouted. Many hands began pushing her forward. She had barely enough time to grab her guitar before she was stumbling onto the stage, the lights blinding her and the insistent cheers doing nothing to help her headache. The audience hushed as she took her place upon the stool and lifted up her guitar. Slowly she strummed the first chord, it reverberated around the hall with a deep sound, giving her the confidence to keep going, to feel the music.

_No I can't take one more step towards you_

_Cause all that's waiting is regret_

_Don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore_

_You lost the love I loved the most_

_I learned to live half alive_

_And now you want me one more time..._

The words flowed out of her like a haunting tune, the crowd was going crazy. She looked out upon the people below her when a flash of blonde caught her eye. Instantly her heart began to constrict, her throat tightening in apprehension. Had Austin come to hear her play? The blonde came into view again, his light brown eyes locking with her own. Eyes she had gazed into so many times before. Eyes of Austin Moon. She felt as if she had cotton stuffed into her mouth. It was choking her, she could barely breathe as he stared directly at her. She sung louder, conveying all the emotions to him in every words she said. It was electrifying and dizzying all at the same time.

_And who do you think you are_

_Running around leaving scars_

_Collecting your jar of hearts_

_And tearing love apart,_

_You're gonna catch a cold_

_From the ice inside your soul_

_So don't come back for me._

_Who do you think you are?_

She asked the question whilst staring at him. It was for him and she wanted to know. The nauseousness began taking over as she hopped off of her stool, practically dropping her guitar. Hushed whispers fell across the audience, she was going to be sick. The whispers grew louder, everything was louder. It was too much, she breathed deeply but it felt as if nothing was going in. No air at all. The black spots had begun to cloud her vision as her stomach did somersaults. Why was he here? Why? His face morphed into that of concern as he moved closer towards the stage as she instinctively moved back before her legs buckled and she succumbed to the black spots. Darkness surrounded her but she could still hear things in the distance, shouts from Marshall and voices from the crowd. One voice in particular she could distinguish from the rest. Austin's.

" Ally?" His breath tickled her face. She wanted to see him but everything was dark and her hearing was slowly dissipating too. Everything sounded as if she were underwater. What did he want from her? Was he actually concerned about her? All these questions kept buzzing around, she couldn't hold onto one for more than a second.

" I've got you Ally." Austin's voice sounded before her hearing disappeared, there was nothing left but silence and the warm touch of a hand covering her own.

**Thank you for reading, please review if you think that it is worth continuing because I wasn't sure if I should post this. The song for this chapter was Christina Perris Jar of Hearts. Thank you.**


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